Self-aligning high-speed ball-race bearing



J. W. PARKER.

SELF ALIGNING HIGH SPEED BALL RACE BEARING. I

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1921.

1&365319 PatentedSept; 26,1922.-

gIn ucnhw c2872 72 flZZPar-rer Patented Sept. 6, 1922..

JOHN W. PARKER, 0F DETROIT, MICHTGAN.

SELF-ALIGNING HIGH-SPEED BALL-RACE BEARING.

Application filed hily l l, 1921. Serial No. 433,943.

To all whom if may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN W. PARKER, a citizen of the Kingdom of GreatBritain, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Aligning High- SpeedBall-Race Bearings, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Mv invention relates to a self aligning ball bearing, more particularlyadapted for use in machines or the like having a relatively high speedshaft upon which the bearing is positioned to run.

One of the objects of my invention is to give a longer life to the ballsand to the raceways than is given in the bearings of the prior art.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a bearing soconstructed as to be quickly and easily assembled without the use oftools.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a bearing wherein theraceways are formed, one with a radius, and the other with an angle upontheir bearing faces.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a bearing. having achannel for allowing the passage of the lubricating oil in such a mannerthat the major portion of the oil is not subjected to the crushingeffect caused by the pressure of the balls running over the same.

I am aware of the fact that there are other so called self aligning ballrace bear ings, but it has been my observation that in all of thesebearings the raceways, after the bearing has been in use, show a slighttrack wear. In these bearings, if any change is made in the machine orshaft that would necessitate the re-aligning of the bearings, the ballswould be running across the side of the track, causing vibration, aswell as chipping of the balls and thus destroying the bearings. By theuse of my invention, however, this is impossible, for the reason thatirrespective of what change may take place in the machine or shaft, theballs must roll in their natural tracks, thus avoiding any friction orany unnatural wear.

These and other objects and advantages are shown in the arrangement,combination and construction of the various parts of m improved deviceas described in the speci catlon, claimed in my claims and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of bearing.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a double row ball race constructed inaccordance with my invention.

In the construction of a single row bearing, I provide an outer shell orcase 1, withmy improved taken on line in which is the outer race ring,which is' constructed of the two pieces 3 and 7. My reasons forconstructing the outer race ring in two pieces is for simplicity ofassembling and cheapness of manufacture. Ialso provide an inner racering 4 and the balls 6,

which are held in their respective positions will still operate andfunction naturally and I Without friction or vibration.

The outer shell or case 1 is provided with two oppositely disposed slots8, which are graduated in depth from the outer edge of the shell to thecenter thereof as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, it will be seen, thatthe ba ls may be assembled in the retainers 5, the inner race ring 4,and the outer race rings 3 and 7, placed in their respective positions,and then the bearing as a whole inserted through the slots 8 into theshell or case 1 as far as the center thereof. In accomplishing this, theassembled bearing is at right angles to the shell, but after it hasprogressed into the shell as far as the center, it is then turned aroundin the shell so that the axes of the shell and race ring are concentric.The bearing is then in a position to operate.

The bearing faces of the race rings are so constructed that the pointsof contact of the balls on the raceways are at difi'erent angles to thecenter line of the ball on the respective sides of the raceways. Forinstance, as shown in Fig. 1, the point of contact of the ball on theright hand side of the outer raceway is 20 degrees ofi the center lineof the ball, whereas the point of contact at the left hand side of thesame racewa 1s 24 degrees off the center line of the all.

@omespondingly, the right hand oontact out the inner raceway is at onthe center line and the lei-t hand point oi contact is i degreesoti thecenter line.

iii

Oil

run at high speeds.

Thus, in the practical operation of my bearing, the rotation of theinner raceway will tend to cause the ball to rotate sidewise in varyingdegrees of speed, depending upon the angle of the point of contact tothe [center line of the ball, but the angle opposite thereof on theouter raceway will tend to equalizethe rotative action imparted to theball by the inner raceway and cause the ball to rotate sidewise in amanner similar to the way in which the planets rotate around the sun, sothat the balls will rotate laterally or sidewise approximately once toevery 365 revolutions of the balls around the axis of the shaft.

It will thus be seen that through this con stant sidewise rotation thewear upon the balls is equalized so that it Wlll not become out ofround, which latter action naturally will cause vibration and grindingaway of the balls.

It, on the other hand, the angles oi the points of contacts on the sameraceways were equal, then the ball would simply roll in the one trackand would develop in use a worn track thereon, causing friction,vibration and final giving away of the ball.

In order to utilize m invention in a double row hearing, as s own inFin", 3, ll provide an outer shell or casing 9, aving oppositelydisposed slots 10 sunilar to the slots 8 on the single row hearing. Theinner side of the shellponiorrns in contour to the contour of thegoutertaco of the combined outer race rings ll, 12 and 13.v I also provide aninner ring 14: and balls 15. A ball retainer I 16 is also employed andthe same principles as hereinabove outlined for arranging the contactpoints of the balls in the raceways are followed. Likewise, the sameprinciple of assembling the bearing is employed.

In the construction of my bearing it will be noted that a V shapedpassage 17 is formed around the raceways by reason of the points ofcontacts of the balls being on the sides thereof. This permits the treepassage of oil through the bearings and prevents that portion of the oilnot in engagement with the balls from being crushed by the pressure ofthe balls thereon, thus increasing the life of the oil and reducing thefriction and heat which naturally appears in ball races when l wish itunderstood that the respective angles herein illustrated as points ofcontact for the halls may be varied, it being only necessary that adiliferent angle be used as points of contact on opposite sides ot thecenter line of the halls.

It will thus be seenthat my invention pro vides a highly eficientbearing, capahle ct ins-care a very long life and one which may be runvery high speed. Also, that any hearing is very quickly and easilyassembled without the use of tools and that the hearing will operate andfunction smoothly and noranally even though the shaft is out oi? line.

Some changes may he aims in the arrangement and combination or thevarious parts of my improved device without oleparting from the spiritof the invention therein and it is my intention to cover by my claigrnssuch changes as may be reasonably included within the scope thereof.

l claim is:

l, lln a ball bearing, an inner race-ring and an outer race rin. one ofsaid race rings having a radiuse' groove therein and the other an angledgroove therein, a plurality of halls between said race rings and adaptedto run in said grooves, two points of contact for said halls on eachgroove, said points of contact on the groove in the outer raceway beinat ditferent angles to the center lines of t e halls.

2. In a hall bearing, an inner race ring and an outer race ring, one ofsaid race rings having a radiused groove therein and the other an angledgroove therein, a plurality of halls between said race rings and adaptedto run in said grooves, two points of contact for said balls on eachgroove, said points of contact on the-groove in the inner race ring beinat difierent angles to the center lines of t e balls,

3. In a hall bearing, an inner race ring and an outer race rin one oisaid race.

rings having a radiuse groove therein and the other an angled groovetherein, a plurality of balls between said race rings and adapted to runin said of contact for said bal s on each of said grooves, said pointsof contact on the groove in the outer race ring being at ditierentangles to the center lines of the ball, and said points of contact onthe groove of the inner race ring being also at ditlerent angles to thecenter lines oi. the balls, the point of coves, two points a lit llltllllltl contact on the right hand side of the groove in t e outer racering being at the same) angle to the center lines of the balls as thepoint of contact on the left hand side-of the groove in the inner racering, and the point of contact of the balls on the left hand side or thegroove in the outer race "ring being at the same angle to the centerlines of the balls as the point oi contact on the right hand side of thegroove in the inner race ring.

4L. lln a ball bearing, an outer race rin and an inner race ring andballs adapted to run therebetween, said outer race ring beingconstructed of two rings whose peiao ea ers in assembled position insuch a manner that said outer race ring may be moved at any angle lessthan a right angle to said casing without becoming disengaged therefrom.

5. In a double row ball bearing, an outer race ring and an inner racering adapted to engage with two rows of balls therebetween, said outerrace ring being constructed of three rings whose combined peripheriesform an approximate section of a sphere, and a casing adapted to encloseand hold said outer race ring in assembled position in such a mannerthat said outer race-ring may be moved at any angle less than a ri htangle to said casing without becoming isengaged therefrom.

" race rings and 6. In a ball bearing, an inner race ring and an outerrace ring, both having grooves therein, a plurality of balls betweensaid adapted to run in said grooves, two points of contactfor said ballson each groove, said points of contact on the inner race ring groovebeing at difierent angles to thecenter lines of the said balls, saidpoints of contact on the outer race ring groove being at the same anglesto the center lines of the balls. as those on the inner race' ringgroove, the opposing points of contact of the inner and outer race ringgrooves being also at difierent angles to the center lines of saidballs.

' JOHN W. PARKER.

